Red. That was what Septima remembered seeing. Rivers and oceans of it everywhere, dripping down the ancient stones of the castle and pooling by the debris on the ground.

It belonged to her colleagues. Order members. DA members. Underage students that she could not protect from the Death Eaters, despite her best efforts.

The jumbled flashes of curses. The sickening screams of casualties.

Finally, just her and the remaining Carrow (the other had been taken down and killed by older Ravenclaws before the battle began in order to regain control of the castle from Death Eaters). Her image of what unfolded was so blurry she was unure which one it was (not that it really mattered; the Carrow siblings were so inbred that they both had looks of Picasso's abstract artwork portraits. The two of them were bigoted purebloods who were so worried about magical blood being ''tainted'' that the two siblings married each other and even mated. Septima felt like vomiting just thinking about the time she caught them in the act of trying to procreate).

The Carrows were the ones who took almost everything away from Septima. She knows that it will take several years to relearn all of the math and arithmancy she had been robbed of due to the torture inflected on her by the two of them. The Carrows were heinous monsters that chained children as young as 11 and tortured a few non-pureblood students causing irreversible harm to them (not to mention that a few young students went ''missing'' under the regime of the Carrows).

But when the battle came, she finally had her chance. She found herself dueling the remaining Carrow, who had no shred of sanity or conscience left, in a dark, shadowy tower very high up in the castle. The two of them were trying to outrun and outmaneuver the other. The remaining Carrow sibling was taunting her about what happened to her students under torture and describing it in disturbing detail.

''You could not protect them, haha! Want to know what I did to little Morgan, that first year? Well, let's just say that I had my fun with her, haha! It was really fun, like a game,'' said the Carrow with an insane malicious grin.

Septima finally snapped. As a Slytherin, she knew and invented her fair share of dark curses. At a moment like this, she knew that it was time to use them. She knew that using such dark curses would damage her soul, but she did not care anymore (better me than the young students, she thought).

''You've hurt so many people. Even tried to rob me of arithmancy, but I will have you know that you failed,'' Septima said with a dangerous tone and crazed laugh (as a Slytherin, she had no reservations about being cruel in situations that called for it, such as eliminating Death Eaters) as her flowing burgundy robes and long dark hair billowed around in the gusts caused by the spellfire.

''I will ensure that you have a fate worse than those students you hurt. This is your last day alive, so better enjoy it. I know that the only person you ever loved is your sibling. Want to know how we killed that worthless scum? It was lots of fun. I heard some curse was the reason your sibling's head exploded, very slowly. Though only a bit of grey matter is splattered on the walls, ceiling, and rugs of the common room. I guess that's because no Carrow had brains anyway. Trust me, there is not much left of your dear one,'' Septima sneered.

Septima knew that she struck a chord with the remaining Carrow, with the brief look of horror and heartbreak on their face (kind of shocking that such a monster can feel any emotion, she thought). Septima used this moment of distraction to mutter a spell of her own invention that interfered with the surrounding gravitational field (this curse drastically increases the gravitational force of a small area so that the victim feels like they are being crushed by a giant boot, like an ant being stomped on) in order to trap the Carrow.

''Ahhhhh, what-?! Ahhhh, stop! Please!'' begged the Carrow sibling.

''Aww, this is kind of fun though'' Septima said as her twisted grin grew wider.

Then she raised her wand and yelled.

''Avada Kedavra!''

There was a flash of green light and the Carrow monster was dead. Septima, out of breath after overpowering the Carrow sibling, panted as her target keeled over and slumped to the ground, finally still.

However, Septima could here a set of footsteps pounding up the stairs of the tower. She looked behind her and saw the white skull mask and black robes of a Death Eater.

''Sectumsempra! Depulso!'' Septima yelled without hesitation, as the Death Eater's throat was sliced and the body banished backwards through a window of the tall tower. As the Death Eater was sent flying, Septima could hear the glass shattering and a loud crack as the Death Eater's spine snapped during his fall.

Septima then turned and ran for it, spotting her friend/colleague Aurora Sinistra and her former student Sue Li dueling a Death Eater, and joined them in the fight.

Septima gasped as she woke up from her flashback. She knew that the way she killed the Carrow was brutal but justified, though it still gave her nightmares. At least no more innocent students would ever suffer at the hands of that monster again.

Still shaking, she got out of bed and got ready for the day. She knew that she had to talk to Severus Snape, the current headmaster (he survived the battle and was proven to be a double agent working for the light side with Veritaserum and a Legilimens during a trial). With Minvera McGonagall dead due to the battle, it was decided that he would be best suited for the role, just for now.

Snape had asked her to be the new DADA professor and Septima happily accepted. While she was still working on relearning math and arithmancy and with the role being vacant, she agreed to the offer.

Septima sighed as she realized that she had a long day ahead of her. The surviving Hogwarts staff had to discuss plans about how to open the school again by September and Septima needed to plan the new DADA curriculum.

It was going to be a long process to rebuild.

Septima took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. The memories of the battle were still fresh in her mind, and the weight of the losses they had suffered weighed heavily on her. But she was determined to move forward, to rebuild and create a better future for the students of Hogwarts.

After dressing in her usual attire, a mix of dark robes and a splash of green representing her Slytherin pride, Septima made her way to Severus Snape's office. The corridors were eerily quiet, remnants of the recent chaos still lingering in the air. The castle walls bore scars and traces of the fierce duels that had taken she approached Snape's office, she noticed the door was slightly ajar. Septima pushed it open and found Snape inside, surrounded by books and scrolls, lost in thought.

"Severus," she called out, and he looked up, a faint glimmer of relief in his eyes. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Snape shook his head and motioned for her to come in. "Not at all, Septima. I was just going over some documents regarding the repairs and preparations for the new school year. Please, have a seat."